SCIENCE EDUCATION DRUG ABUSE PARTNERSHIP AWARD

Description: The purpose of the Science Education Drug Abuse Partnership Award (SEDAPA) is to fund the development and evaluation of innovative model programs and materials for enhancing knowledge and understanding of neuroscience and the neurobiological mechanisms of drug abuse and addiction among K-12 students, the general public, health care practitioners and other groups. The program seeks to:

• Provide education to youth, the general public and others on neuroscience and drug abuse.
• Ensure that highly trained scientists will be available in adequate numbers to address the Nation's research needs in neuroscience and drug abuse research.

The award provides support for the formation of partnerships between scientists and educators, media experts, community leaders and other interested organizations for the development and evaluation of programs and materials that will enhance knowledge and understanding of science related to drug abuse. The intended focus is on topics not well addressed in existing efforts by educational, community or media activities.

There is a lack of public understanding of behaviors that increase the risk for drug abuse, the use of animals in drug abuse related behavioral and biomedical research, and the necessity of basic research to make progress toward improving health. There is also still a misunderstanding among many groups about the nature of addiction as a biologically based brain disorder. To address these issues, NIDA wants to ensure that efforts are made to educate school children, the general public, health care workers, members of the judicial system, the media and other groups about the science of addiction. This program will fund science education projects for one or more of these groups:

• Students and teachers at the kindergarten through 12th grade levels.
• The general public.
• Health care practitioners.
• Members of the judicial system.
• Members of the media.
• Other groups that have a need to be scientifically literate.

Programs aimed at school children should convey the scientific process in a way which makes learning science fun and interesting for the students and which captures their enthusiasm for science. Programs aimed at other groups should be directed to increasing their knowledge of scientific terms, concepts, reasoning and their ability to understand scientific public policy issues. Regardless of the intended audience, all projects must involve a partnership between scientists and educators, media experts, community leaders or other interested organizations. All projects must also enhance knowledge and understanding of science related to drug abuse and all projects must include evaluation. Priority will be given to projects that are innovative and have the potential to be replicated for widespread use.

Activities may include, but are not limited to, the following types:

• Development of innovative curricula using state of the art technology.
• Development of and/or presentation of media programs on the science of drug abuse and addiction. These may include television, radio, motion pictures (including CD and DVD), newspaper articles, magazine articles, books, experiments, computer software, CD-ROMs, websites, social media or electronic communications instruments or channels, or other written, electronic or audiovisual presentations designed to educate about the biology of drug abuse and addiction.
• Development of programs in settings designed to educate the public about the biology of drug abuse and addiction. These may be in museums, shopping centers, public buildings, schools, science fairs or any other suitable place which is open to all or to a segment of the public.
• Provision of education, resources and support for scientists to speak to students, the general public, teachers, parents, health care practitioners, the media or other audiences, such as at PTA meetings, in classrooms or at workshops for teachers.
• Development of programs to provide innovative mentorships for students wishing to learn more about science. This activity may be in formal school settings or may be in community settings. The activity may provide for qualified persons who serve as teachers, as resource persons or as consultants. Such activities might include working with gifted and talented programs or setting university-based programs for high school students with local school systems.

Fit for public broadcasting: Public broadcasting stations are eligible to apply for this grant, and the objective aligns well with the capabilities and goals of local stations. Stations have expertise in public education and health, as well as K-12 education, and will be able to partner with scientists to propose a variety of educational media on this topic. Partnerships with scientists are required to apply for this grant, and other partnerships, especially those that expand the influence of the grant, are allowed and encouraged. Stations can be the lead applicant, or they can decide to be a media or education partner. Applications for this program will not be accepted until April 2011, and are not due until May 2011, so stations have plenty of time to establish necessary partnerships and fully develop curricula, media or programs.

Eligibility: Institutions of higher education, non-profit organizations, state, county, local and tribal governments, school districts and public housing authorities are all eligible to apply. One or more individuals must be designated as Project Director/Principal Investigator and should be capable of providing both administrative and scientific leadership to the development and implementation of the proposed science education program.

Anticipated funding: The total project may not exceed four years, and total direct costs are limited to $250,000/year.

How to apply: Applications must be submitted electronically on Grants.gov, and applicant organizations must register in the NIH eRA Commons.

Resources:
Program notice
Program website